Tipplers cross borders for booze amid COVID-19 crisis

As wines shops remained closed in the twin-city, a wine shop in Dahisar has been attracting huge crowds as tipplers from Mira Road-Kashimira belt.

On Tuesday, people including a large number of women made a beeline at the wine shop located in the check naka area, to satisfy their liquor craving after a 40-day dry spell due to the nationwide lockdown. However, social distancing norms went for a toss in the process.

In a much-needed move, the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) has remained firm on its decision of not allowing wine shops to open in their jurisdiction. Although the wine shop is located in Mumbai’s jurisdiction, the check-point area shares its border with Kashimira.

As frenzied tipplers ran amok by thronging in and out of the city limits, the cross border rush is likely to heighten worries of the district administration which is struggling hard to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus in the twin-city.

Notably, the Thane (rural) police claim to have effectively shut its border with Thane, Palghar, and Mumbai by restricting “non-essential” vehicular traffic from the neighbouring cities.

Despite the ban on the sale of liquor, some shop and bar owners ensured that the cash registers kept ringing through the dry spell as liquor was available in several areas across the city, albeit at a higher price than usual.

This is evident of the fact that a couple of wine shop and bar owners have been caught red-handed while selling booze amid the lockdown period, even as excise officials played blind to the illegal activities.